Accept Me
by Dragon Master10001
Summary: Yami and Bakura decided to stay in this time era, leaving their friends in the past. During their time in the future, Bakura and Honda started to fall for the former Pharaoh. Who will win the Pharaoh’s heart?
1. Chapter 1

So, this story just randomly formed in my head one day, so I was like, "Might as well start this and see where it leads itself." I hope to at least stay with this story unlike my other ones. I just don't find my other stories as interesting as this one. And this one just started too! Haha. So, I hope that all of you readers with enjoy this story. =]

**Pairings**: Yami/Bakura, Yami/Honda, Seto/Jou, Yūgi/Ryou  
**Rating**: T - - May go up  
**Warnings**: swearing, lemons [in later chapters], other good stuff ;]  
**Summary**: Yami and Bakura decided to stay in this time era, leaving their friends in the past. During their time in the future, Bakura and Honda started to fall for the former Pharaoh. Who will win the Pharaoh's heart?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu – Gi – Oh. I do own the plot to the story. That counts for something!

* * *

"Give it up, Bakura! You're down to your last few hundred life points," Atem shouted to his opponent, who was about ten yards away from himself. The white hair teen sneered at the former Pharaoh's comment, even though he was right.

"This isn't over until I say that this duel is over, _Pharaoh_," the tomb robber stated with much venom as he can, snidely adding the other yami's old title with a devious smirk. The tri colored hair teen glared threateningly towards his opponent, making the other male's smirk to grow larger.

"C'mon, Atem! You can kick this good for nothing tomb robber's ass," Honda shouted with as much enthusiasm as he possibly can. Yūgi chuckled at his friend's antics, making the taller teen to blush a light pink. Atem smiled at the brunette before turning his attention back Bakura, resulting Honda's blush to rival that of a tomato.

"Just make your move, thief, or else you forfeit this duel and Atem wins yet again," Jonouchi stated, crossing his arms and glared whole heartedly at his friend's opponent.

"Geez. Seto really has changed you," Anzu said with an agitated sigh, rubbing her temples to sooth an oncoming headache. The blonde looked at his female friend, confused at what she had just said. The female brunette sighed impatiently before waving her hand to dismiss the thought and turned her attention back towards the game.

"Shut it, blondie. I know that I have to draw a card now. I was just thinking of a strategy to turn this duel around. Something that you lack in," Bakura shot back towards Jonouchi, picking up a card from the top of his deck. The former tomb robber looked at the card, another smirk forming on lips as he started devising a plan to finally defeat his toughest opponent. "I use the magic card, Change of Heart," the white hair teen shouted, activating his and his hikari's favorite magic card. "Now your Dark Magician is against you! How sad. Oh well, not my loss. Now, Dark Magician, use dark magic attack on Atem's Fierce Knight!"

The other yami yawned at the attack, making Bakura to give him a funny, yet quizzical look. From the side lines, Ryou was shaking his head in disappointment. _Bakura, you baka! Either you're a complete idiot or you were oogling Atem during all of his turns. Did you forget about the faced down card he has on the field?_ the white hair former hikari thought, predicting his yami's opponent's next move.

"Did you forget about my face down card or are you just plain stupid?" the former Pharaoh asked, a smirk forming on his lips. "You just activated my trap card, Mesmeric Control, reducing my Dark Magician's attack points by eight hundred, giving my Gaia of the Fierce Knight the advantage it has against my Dark Magician," the tri colored hair teen explained as his knight counter attacked his Dark Magician, destroying it from the game.

_Shit. I'm screwed now. I have no monsters out on the field_, Bakura thought, biting his lip as he tried doing some last minute thinking before he lost the game.

"Now, destroy his life points directly," the tri colored hair teen shouted as his Fierce Knight went straight to his opponent and attacked, getting rid of the few hundred life points he had left.

"Dammit," Bakura whispered, looking down in shame as the duel ended.

"Yeah, Atem! I knew you could do it," Honda shouted, waving his arms in the air to show his excitement. He, followed by Yūgi, Anzu, and Jonouchi, ran to the former Pharaoh to congratulate him on yet another victory against Bakura. Ryou quickly congratulated the yami before slowly walking over to his yami.

"Dammit. Why do I always loose to him?" the said yami muttered quietly, looking down towards the ground in shame. "I always think things through, but during the last couple of games, I just can't think straight." Soon after those words left his mouth, the former tomb robber's knees gave out, making him fall on the hard concrete floor. Ryou rolled his eyes at his yami's actions, but nonetheless sat down right beside him.

"I don't know for sure, but it might have something to do with your crush on him," the former hikari explained, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

Once Bakura's mind slowly processed what Ryou just said, a blush started to form on his porcelain face as he jumped up in shock at his former hikari's assumption. The shorter one of the two chuckled at the yami's reaction, knowing him too well for what he'll say, or rather shout, next.

/How can you even say that, you baka! I – I – I don't nor will ever like that damned Pharaoh!/ Bakura shouted through his and his former hikari's still working mind link, pointing towards the said male. The shorter white hair male winced at the loudness of his former yami, rubbing his temples in a soothing manner to prevent a massive headache to start.

/Like I said, it was just an assumption. Though now I have an odd feeling that I'm right because of your defensiveness you just shouted at me./ Ryou replied matter – of – factly towards his companion, smirking at him before standing up. Bakura was blushing a shade of red that can put a tomato to shame. His secret that he kept, even from his former hikari, was exposed to the said person.

/I – it was not defensiveness! How could you even think that? Me? Liking that good for nothing Pharaoh? That's l – l – like a sick joke!/ the former tomb robber shouted, his face going more red by the second.

/Yeah, yeah. He's coming over here by the way./ Ryou sighed, shaking his head and crossing his arms in annoyance. The taller teen jumped a little before trying his hardest to get rid of his blush.

/What do I do? What should I say?/ Bakura rambled, almost tempted to pull his hair right off his head. He glared at his former hikari when he heard a soft chuckled escape the said person's mouth.

/Just be yourself, baka./

"Good game, Bakura," Atem said with a small smile as he was walking towards the two white hair males. It took all of Bakura's self control to not blush in front of the other former yami.

"Yeah. Well, I let you win," the former tomb robber shot back, sneering towards his enemy/crush. "Plus, my mind wasn't even on the game. It was somewhere else." The former Pharaoh chuckled before shaking the other teen's hand, sending a jolt of excitement right up his arm and through his body.

"Well, don't think too hard. I don't want my best opponent to be dead because of brain damage," were Atem's last words before returning to his friends.

/That… could have gone a bit better./ Ryou said before turning towards the direction of his house and started walk in said direction.

_Yeah. It could have gone a bit better_, Bakura agreed before sighing in disappointment and started to follow his friend home.

Where everyone else is, they were all chattering about random things. They were all talking about off subject topics. From Atem's win against Bakura to hanging out with one another. This all last until Jonouchi had to leave so that he can meet up with Seto for their lunch date. Anzu also had to leave because she made shopping plans with Mai and she didn't want to miss having a girl's day with her best friend. Yūgi needed to leave because he had to take his shift at the Kame Shop so that Sugoroku could get some things for his shop, leaving Honda and Atem by themselves.

_Yūgi probably didn't have to work. I bet he wanted Atem to get to know me by himself so that we can hook up. I need to do that on my own_, Honda thought as he shoved his hands into his pockets, looking around.

"Do you wanna get a bite to eat or do you have something to do?" the tri color hair teen asked, slightly tilting his head to the side to show his attention towards the other teen. The brunette looked the other way so that he can hide a blush that started to form on his cheeks.

"Where would you wanna go?" the taller teen asked, looking at the other male, knowing full well that his blush resided, as he waited for him to answer.

"We can try this new burger joint that isn't far from here," the former Pharaoh replied, pointing in the direction of the burger joint while still looking at his friend.

"Hell yeah! I've been wanting to go to that place for some time, but I never got a chance to," Honda shouted in excitement as he started to slow jog towards the burger joint. He stopped after a few yards so that Atem could catch up to him.

"I can tell that you're excited," the former yami stated with a small chuckle as he started to walk towards his brunette friend. Once he was next to said person, Honda started walking with the shorter teen towards the burger joint.

"Yeah! I hear that this new place is supposed to be great! Like a five stars," the brunette exclaimed, punching the air above himself in excitement, cause his companion to chuckle.

"Did Jonouchi tell you this?" Atem asked, side glancing towards his friend as he shortly waited for a response.

"Yeah," Honda answered, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "He dragged Seto once and then called me to say, or shout, that the food there was to die for. That was like a few weeks ago," Honda quickly explained, switching from scratching his cheek to rubbing the back of his head. The tri color hair teen chuckled lightly at his friend, shaking his head, knowing how his blonde friend is when it came to food.

"Well, now it's our turn to try this place out," the former Pharaoh said, a playful smile forming on his lips. This action made Honda's blush to return, but the other teen didn't take a notice to it. "Let's go," Atem shouted happily, starting to run to their destination. The brunette chuckled at his friend's action before running after him.

_Yes. It's our turn to try this place out. Together_," the taller teen thought as he caught up with the former Pharaoh, smiling an excited smile towards the smaller male.

* * *

Hm… So both Honda and Bakura like our little Atem. Shall rivalry form between these two? Who knows? Only I do! =p

Just in case if there are any confusion, yes, Yami [Atem] and Bakura have their own bodies. They just stayed in this time era because they enjoy it. They also have their Sennen Items with. Other things shall be explained throughout the story.

Till next chapter! =]


	2. Chapter 2

I am extremely sorry for the long wait! I was busy with work, school, sports, and my now current ex-boyfriend, but we were going out during those long awaiting months. I am finally back and I am going to try and update once a week or at least a lot sooner than this. This chapter actually took me less than a day to write, which I am happy about.

I am currently stuck on two plots for this story. I know one of the two will eventually win as this story progresses. It should… Shouldn't it? Heheheh. Anyway… Enjoy this long awaited chapter and I appreciate it dearly that a lot of you guys are patient with me.

I also dedicate this chapter to Yellow Gummybear! Thanks for motivating me to actually write this. I also dedicate this chapter to the very few reviewers that reviewed this story and to those you favorited. I'm glad you all liked the first chapter and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :D

**Pairings**: Yami/Bakura, Yami/Honda, Seto/Jou, Yūgi/Ryou  
**Rating**: T - - May go up  
**Warnings**: swearing, lemons [in later chapters], other good stuff ;]  
**Summary**: Yami and Bakura decided to stay in this time era, leaving their friends in the past. During their time in the future, Bakura and Honda started to fall for the former Pharaoh. Who will win the Pharaoh's heart?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu – Gi – Oh. I do own the plot to the story. That counts for something!

* * *

Honda fell on his bed, a big smile plastered on his face. He had spent the whole afternoon with Atem. At first, he thought that it was a dream, but soon figured out that it was actually real after he had pinched himself for the twentieth time during the last few hours.

"I should call Jonouchi and tell him all about this before I forget. I know that he's gonna wanna know about my whole afternoon," the brunette said to himself as he grabbed his cell phone from his pant pocket and started dialing his best friends number by heart. After a few rings, the intentioned person on the other line finally answered his phone.

"_Yeah?_" Jonouchi greeted as he answered his phone. Honda took a deep breath before he could say anything.

"I spent my whole afternoon with Atem," Honda said to his best friend, making the other close to being deaf. It took the blonde a few minutes for his brain to digest what his friend just screamed before he could react.

"_Oh my Kami! How was it? You need to tell me everything,_" the older of the two screeched, his voice almost leveling to the brunette's earlier scream. Honda chuckled and explained everything to his friend.

The brunette explained how the burger joint went, how Atem beat Honda in all the video games in the arcade and that the brunette exclaimed that he let the former Pharaoh win. He even went into details of what the two discussed and did while walking through the park.

"I can tell through those beautiful amethyst eyes that he was enjoying himself very much. We almost kissed too! In front of the fountain in the centre of the park, but Yūgi called and said that his shift for the shop was in a few minutes. I bet you any yen that he didn't want to leave," Honda finished, a smug look starting to form on his face. Jonouchi chuckled on the other line of the phone, the kind of chuckle that seems to be agreeing with his friend.

"_Maybe he does like you. Just keep on hanging out with him and then maybe his feelings towards you will grow,_" the blonde explained, knowing what he is saying with confidence. That was what Seto did until he was confident that Jonouchi liked him back.

"I know that he'll like me. I know that Anzu still likes him, but she doesn't do anything about it. At least I'm trying here," Honda said, an evil smirk forming on his lips. His response was a sigh and though he couldn't see it, he knows that his blonde friend his shaking his head in disappointment.

"_I knew that love was blind, but you're blinder than a blind man. Do you even know what you're saying anymore?_" Honda was shocked at his best friend's choice words. Of course he knows what he is saying! He is not blinded by his love with Atem! What gives Jonouchi the right to accuse him of something that isn't true? Maybe his best friend doesn't know what he's saying anymore and is helping Anzu to get rid of her competition.

"Jon… I thought I could trust you on this," the brunette started, his anger rising with every second he is on the phone with his friend. Wait. That is the wrong thing to call Jonouchi. The blonde, from now until him and Atem are together, is his new enemy, along with Anzu.

"_What are you saying bud? Of course you can trust me with this. I'm trying to help you, but you first have to be in your right state of mind or else you will lose your chance with Atem,_" Jonouchi started, shock evident in his voice. Before the blonde could continue his lecture, he was crudely interrupted by his brunette friend, who seemed to be even angrier by each word that Jonouchi said.

"Cut the fucking act, _Jonouchi_! I know that you're helping that _whore_ win over Atem's heart. Until I win this little _competition_, we are now enemies." Honda smirked when he heard a surprised gasp from the other line before hanging up. _Serves him right too. Why should he be tricking me when I personally asked his help? The only two people I can count on are myself and Yūgi_, the brunette thought agitatedly, hoping that he wins the battle between himself and his former friends.

* * *

"Are you sure, Jon? I mean, I know that Honda likes Atem, but I would never have thought that he would be this cruel in order to win his heart," Yūgi said, surprised at what his blonde friend is telling him.

"_I'm more shocked than you are Y__ū__g. It'd be best that you keep an eye on both Atem and Honda. Who knows how extreme he'll be just to win this _battle_,_" Jonouchi explain, emphasizing how his former brunette friend said this was to win Atem's heart. Who knows how bad Honda will be just to win?

"Yeah, I'll keep an extra close eye on Honda. I just hope that this doesn't go in the wrong direction or else we'll have to take extreme measures for both Honda's and Atem's safety," the tri-colored hair teen assured, exhaustion evident in his voice. Just a year ago he and Atem, along with their friends, saved the world from total darkness and chaos. Now he has to save Atem from the same friend that helped him save the world. Is Kami trying to torment him? Can the young junior in high school just relax and have a normal life for once?

"_I'll keep an eye on Anzu. Knowing Honda, he'll try doing whatever he can to get rid of her,_" the blonde said, worry etched in his voice. Yūgi heard a door open and voices on the other line, indicating that Kaiba is home from work. "_I'll talk to Seto about_ _this. Maybe he might have some ideas and plans to help us keep both our friends safe._"

Yūgi smiled at his friend's words. Ever since Jonouchi started dating Seto, the older Kaiba started to become soft towards the blonde's friends. Before anyone knew it, everyone accepted Seto as part of the gang. Of course the brunette and Atem have the same rivalry ever since the former Pharaoh entered their lives, but it is not as harsh as it was almost a year and a half ago.

"That would be a good idea. Call me when everything starts to form. Also, I think that we should tell Ryou and Bakura. Both of them could help us with this predicament," the smaller of the two suggested. _With Bakura's sneakiness and Ryou's innocence, keeping Honda away from Atem until he is in right state of mind again should be easy._

Yūgi remembered when Bakura and Atem obtained their new bodies. Bakura continued to cause trouble in Domino City. It's even worse now because he, along with Atem, can still control the shadows and summon his duel monsters without a duel disk. About a few months after he got his body, his bond with Ryou grew and before anyone knew it, Ryou's influence calmed the Thief King. Now he just steals once in a while when he is troubled by something.

"_Don't tell Bakura yet. We need to know how bad Honda is and what he's planning to do before we involve that thief,_" Jonouchi explained, worry still in his voice. Though the younger of the two couldn't see it, he can tell that his blonde friend was shaking his head in disappointment. Who wouldn't be worried and disappointed at their best friend when they suddenly ended their friendship just because of someone they like?

"True," Yūgi answered, sighing in frustration and exhaustion. His head perched up when he heard the entrance of the shop open, to reveal the person that he is worried about the most. "Gotta go. Atem just arrived. Call me when you and Kaiba have a plan going." His response was a quiet _yeah_ before the two hung up on each other.

"What's the matter aibou? You look exhausted," the former Pharaoh of Egypt asked, pausing his iPod and taking his headphones out of his ears as he was waiting a reply from his smaller counterpart. Yūgi shook his head, dismissing the subject, before going towards the door that connected the shop to his grandfather's house and closing it when he was in the home. Atem furrowed his eyebrows together when his hikari wasn't answering him. Dismissing the subject all together, the former spirit went behind the counter to start his shift.

_I'll get it out of him tomorrow morning before school_, were the tri-color hair teen's last thoughts before attending to a customer who wants advice from the current King of Games on how to start a deck.

* * *

_Maybe I'm not fit to be with him_, Bakura thought as he sighed. When he and Ryou arrived home a few hours ago, the taller albino went straight to his room and locked the door, wanting some alone time to think his whole entire life through.

Ever since he accepted his feelings towards the former Pharaoh of Egypt, everything between the two started to become awkward. The Thief King couldn't think through any strategies that might help him win against the other teen since the said teen was always on his mind. To tell the truth, Bakura couldn't think straight at all since the other teen was always on his mind. School started to become both awkward and a lot tougher because he couldn't even concentrate. Atem was in almost all of his classes, making getting away from him all the more difficult and a lot harder.

_Keh! I can't just ditch school because I made a promise to Ryou that I'll go to school and actually pass,_ the albino thought, scoffing at the stupid promise he was forced to make. Yeah, he loves his hikari more than anything. He'll do anything to make his hikari happy. Even if it means going to this pathetic school with his hikari's pathetic friends.

Getting out of bed, Bakura grabbed his black trench coat and left his apartment, telling the smaller of the two that he was going to talk a long walk and that he won't be home till late. He doesn't want his little hikari to worry almost all night about his safety. Walking down the familiar sidewalks that he normally takes, the Thief King can finally think everything through, instead of being cooped up inside his bedroom.

When he and Atem finally gained their own bodies, they were told from their gods that they had failed to get rid of their supernatural powers. Thinking that this was the perfect opportunity to finally get rid of the former Pharaoh, Bakura did whatever it took to kill the other teen. After about two months of trying everything and failing, the albino finally gave up on his revenge against the amethyst eyes teen because he was always two steps ahead of him.

A few weeks after he gave up on his revenge and never accepting the former Pharaoh's request of being friends, his hikari started to attempt to get closer to him. After the many failed attempts for a month, Bakura grew annoyed and spent an entire day with his hikari, much to the smaller one's delight. Realizing that Ryou was fun to be around with and that he liked being with him, the both of them started to bond more until they were inseparable. That was when the Thief King decided to do whatever it took to keep his hikari happy and safe from any danger.

About a few months later, Ryou wanted to have a deep conversation with his yami. Confused on what the smaller one had to say, Bakura sat across from Ryou in their small kitchen and listened to everything that his close friend had to say. It turned out that Ryou just realized that he had a crush on Yūgi and explained everything to Bakura to get his opinion on the situation. The taller albino thought over everything his hikari had said and came to the conclusion that his counterpart was insane for liking his enemy's hikari, but supported him in any way he can. That brought a huge and genuine smile from Ryou, making the former Thief King smile a small smile.

That was when everything started to go downhill for Bakura.

When the new school year started, the periwinkle eye teen saw that he had all of his classes, except two, with his arch rival. He couldn't get away from that damned Pharaoh, even if his life depended on it. After about a few months of school, they finally called a truce and shook on it. A vast electrical shock went up Bakura's arm and throughout his body. Not sure of what happened, the albino pushed the matter aside until his stomach started to churn of excitement whenever he saw Atem. Discussing the matter with his hikari, Ryou came to the conclusion that the former thief had a crush on Atem.

Thinking that ignoring the excitements and everything, Bakura went through life normally until he couldn't take it anymore. He finally accepted his feelings towards his former enemy and vowed that when he finally has the potential to want to win him over, he will do whatever he can to do so. For now, he'll keep everything on the down low.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice," a distinct, yet familiar voice said, exhaustion seemed to be etched in there. Thinking nothing of it, Bakura continued walking, ignoring the nagging feeling in him to check things out.

"No problem Yūgi. If anything is the problem, then I'll be here to help one hundred and ten percent," a recognizable voice replied, a bit worried for the first person.

_That sounds like Ryou. Why is he with Yūgi in the park? Unless, they're going to confess,_Bakura shouted at himself as he started to walk towards a tree that was close by both of the teens. Discreetly walking and climbing the said tree, the Thief King made himself comfortable so that he could eavesdrop on his hikari and his friend.

"That's nice to hear," the smaller teen said, a weary smile forming on his lips. Ryou placed a gentle hand on the tri-color hair teen's upper arm, who, in return, leaned into the comforting touch.

"What's wrong, Yūgi? You haven't been this tired ever since your yami acquired his memories a year ago," the former Sennen Ring keeper said, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on his friend's arm. Yūgi looked down in defeat, knowing that his friend was right. He hasn't been this worn out for about a year and it seems to have come back ten times worse.

"It's about Atem," the older one started, yawning in the process. This proclamation made Bakura pay more attention to the two hikaris' talk.

_Everything better be okay with that damn Pharaoh,_ the former thief thought angrily, his hands turning into fists. The sudden thought of losing the King of Games made every hair on Bakura's neck to stand up in alert. He has yet to express his current feelings for the former Pharaoh of Egypt and already something is going wrong. Was he not meant to be with Atem?

"What about him? Is everything alright?" Ryou asked, suddenly alert of what is going on. He doesn't want anything to happen to Atem. Ever since Bakura had told him that he has feelings for the said teen, the smaller albino always kept an eye on the other teen to make sure that everything was okay.

"Kind of," the older teen started, pinching the bridge of his nose to stop an oncoming headache that was waiting to happen. Bakura narrowed his eyes, not liking where this conversation was going.

_If you are dying, Atem, I will bring you to life and kill you again! You can't leave this earth without me telling you that I like you,_ the Thief King thought, forgetting that he and Atem have eternal life. Bakura stealthily and silently changed his position on the tree so that he was in better hearing range of the two teens he was eavesdropping on.

"Honda likes Atem. I guess that his love is so blind, he'll do whatever it takes to win his heart. I think that he's planning on trying to get rid of Anzu to get rid of the competition so that he has a better chance at this," Yūgi explained, his worry sky rocketing by ten times with each passing word he said. Both Bakura, though he was quiet about it, and Ryou gasped at this information. The smaller teen nodded before placing a strong, yet gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, making Bakura quietly snicker and Ryou shiver from the electricalshock from that one touch. "I really need your help on this and I need you to please not to tell Bakura." Ryou contemplated on the agreement before nodded his agreement.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do, Yūgi," the younger one said, his heart speeding up when he saw a gracious smile forming on his friend's lips. Bakura left the two alone, thinking about everything that Yūgi just said.

The former thief knew about Anzu's feelings towards Atem, but thought nothing of it because she was too nervous to do anything. Now that he knows that Honda likes the former Pharaoh, everything will be a bit interesting. Yes, competition is fun and makes you realize that you really like someone if you are willing to fight for their love back, but what Honda wants to do is totally out there. He is going to extreme lengths just to win Atem's heart, even if it means hurting one of his friends in the process.

_None of this makes sense! I mean, I should have guessed that Honda likes Atem from all the shouting and the way he talks to him, but this is ridiculous! I heard about love being blind, but this guy is blinder than a blind man,_ Bakura thought, grabbing some of his hair as he tried to think of a resolution, but couldn't.

_I'm going to have to keep Atem away from Honda and keep a very close eye on that stupid brunette before he eventually hurts Atem,_ the Thief King finally concluded as he started to walk home. Knowing that Yūgi didn't ask for his help was probably because he knew what the albino would probably do if asked by his hikari, but keeping it from him was a bad decision. Now he's taking measures into his own hands. It won't be pretty and he'll probably disappoint Ryou, but he wants to keep Atem safe from any harm. Even if it means to _drastically_ hurt that stupid brunette during the process.

Honda picked the wrong person to piss off.

* * *

So… How was it? God? Bad? Sucked so much that I should just give up on writing? I need to know these things people! I'm not begging for reviews or anything. Far from it. I just really need to know how to improve my writing so that this story can be even better than it is already.

This chapter was about five pages in length, which I am not truly happy about, but what can I do? I am actually going to start writing these at night because that's when I actually feel like writing. Haha.

Anyway, I am currently thinking of the next chapter. I'm not telling you what I am thinking about because that will ruin the story. I also ask all of you guys to yell/shout/scream/whatever at me when two weeks pass and I still haven't updated. I am a very forgetful person and trust me, I will forget.

Till next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

This took me about a week to write. I had a total writer's block on this and I just couldn't think of anything. I just wrote and wrote and wrote in like 2 in the morning. That was when my spur hit me. Haha. I had the ideas when I was at work, but my ideas had left me when I got home to type. :'[ Then, my router for my laptop wouldn't let me connect for a few days, so that also made me want to cry in shame. I swear, technology hates me and I hate it sometimes.

I have seriously reread this chapter like ten times, or more, because my stupid router wouldn't let me connect. I feel so left out in the world. The only way I was able to respond to some people was because my beautiful and wonderful phone has internet and never failed me. My iPod failed me. That broke my heart…

Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. I won't say much, but the beginning of the plot begins at the end of this chapter!

**Pairings**: Yami/Bakura, Yami/Honda, Seto/Jou, Yūgi/Ryou  
**Rating**: T - - May go up  
**Warnings**: swearing, lemons [in later chapters], other good stuff ;]  
**Summary**: Yami and Bakura decided to stay in this time era, leaving their friends in the past. During their time in the future, Bakura and Honda started to fall for the former Pharaoh. Who will win the Pharaoh's heart?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu–Gi–Oh. I do own the plot to the story. That counts for something!

* * *

An entire month had passed by ever since Honda started the war between himself and Yūgi against Jonouchi and Anzu. Everyone has been on the down low for any plans to erupt. No one has yet to tell Atem about what is going on, making the said teen furious by each passing day that this has been going on.

The former Pharaoh of Egypt tried questioning his counterpart the morning after he saw said teen looking more exhausted than he has looked in a year. Yūgi ignored his yami all together that morning, making the older of the two confused and angry.

_My birthday isn't coming up and I know of nothing else that may have to involve secrecy_, the King of Games pondered rigorously, trying to think of what his friends are keeping from him. Frowning when no conclusions came up, Atem held his hand up, so that he may be excused to go to the washroom. Bakura eyed him suspiciously, until he assured himself that no harm can be done to someone in the bathroom.

Getting the acceptance from the teacher, and Bakura unknowingly, Atem took his leave and slowly started to walk towards the bathroom. _Hm… I wonder how aibou is doing in his classes. Maybe a small detour to the bathroom would be nice_, the former spirit thought, quickly changing his direction from the bathroom to Yūgi's current classroom.

Upon arrival to the said classroom a few minutes later, the King of Games quickly spotted his hikari and smiled. The other was completely oblivious to his presence outside of the classroom. Everyone in the classroom were in fact was oblivious to his existence. All, except one.

_It seems that my Pharaoh has taken a detour to see Yūgi. Maybe I can talk to him and convince him to hate Jonouchi and Anzu_, Honda thought, looking at his former friends from the corner of his eye. Anzu was scribbling some notes down in her notebook, while Jonouchi was asleep, again. Mentally smirking, the male brunette looked back towards the door and saw that Atem was gone. Honda lifted his hand in the air so that he can be excused to go to the washroom, and to also tell his teacher that Jonouchi was sleeping again.

Once the teacher said he can go, and watched the teacher belittle his former blonde friend for sleeping, yet again, in his class, Honda exited his class and went to go the bathroom that he thought that Atem was in. Upon entering, the brunette smiled when he saw Atem looking out of the bathroom's window, looking up at the sky with a few clouds in its never ending blueness. Clearing his throat, the former Pharaoh flinched a little from the surprise and looked at the person that was with him, only to smile at his friend before going back to look at the marvelous view.

_Damn. The way that the sunlight is shining down on Atem would make anyone think that he could be a king for this school. The way his back is naturally straight, the way his legs are perfectly able to stay straight instead of slightly tilting, and the his arms are at an angle to him look tall. This guy was breath taken to begin with, but he looks a lot more than that the way he is now. The sunlight also adds more value to Atem's sun kissed skin, his beautiful amnethyst eyes, and his wonderful tri-colored hair_, Honda thought as he continued to admire more of the former spirit, though he had to do stop so that he can convince the smaller to take his side and hopefully, become his.

"Nice day it is this afternoon, isn't it?" the brunette started, heading towards the King of Games slowly until he reached the smaller teen. Atem spared him a glance before nodding and continuing to look outside. The taller one of the two smiled a little before sitting on the opposite side of the window that Atem was on. Before Honda could open his mouth to add something to his question, the admired teen beat him to it.

"Have you ever wondered how it would be like to be Ra?" When Atem looked at his friend, he saw a quizzical look on his face. Chuckling, the former spirit had forgotten that his friends do not really know much of the Egyptian Gods that he, himself, had grown up with. "The sun. Ra was the Egyptian God for the sun in Ancient Egypt. I forgot that you and Jonouchi aren't that perceptive. I thought the god card, Winged Dragon of Ra, would have given you a clue of mine and Bakura's sun god. Guess not," the tri-colored teen said lightly, chuckling during his little explanation.

"Yeah, well, that explains the coloring and why it sometimes glows during your battles," Honda answered with a slight chuckle as he waved his hand to dismiss the insult that was towards him. Pondering what his crush had just asked him, Honda shook his head at having no idea how it would be like to be the sun. Atem sighed and looked back up towards the sun.

"I always think that Ra knows a lot about us and about nature. He knows the pain that we go through and the pain that we give towards the earth, though we may not know it ourselves. He knows everything about what is going on in this world when we barely know anything to end these problems. I also think that the nature knows more than we do, yet we destroy it with all of this deadly gas and the waste we throw out." Honda was taken aback at how deep Atem answered his own question, yet he knew, deep down, that there was a hidden message in that answer. The tri-colored teen sighed, shaking his head at the past events that has been happening for the past month. Seeing his crush's distress, the brunette finally put two and two together before realizing that his friend has been withdrawn from information that Yūgi has yet to tell him.

"Atem, has everyone seemed unusual towards you during the past month?" Honda asked, his voice gentle and full of concern for the teen next to him. The King of Games nodded at the question, closing his eyes in disappointment at his friends' behaviors. Hell, even Seto Kaiba was acting strange and that made the tri-color hair teen even more alert that something was being amiss and he had no idea what it was. Honda feigned a sigh of disappointment while he was quickly forming a plan in his head to get things started.

"I have no idea why everyone is so strange. My birthday isn't coming up. There are no special holidays coming up. Nothing of importance is coming up," the former spirit started, his voice starting to crack as a small assumption started to form in his head. Atem looked down, ashamed that tears were threatening to fall down in a small stream from the hurt that he had gotten from his friends. If it had been Yūgi in front of him, the former Pharaoh would not mind in the least and would cry until he had no more tears to shed for that reason. But, he was in front of Honda. Yes, he and Honda are pretty close, but Honda hasn't gotten past the wall that Atem had created to keep those whom he deemed to care enough to call him his family. Only Yūgi and Sugoroku passed the wall and are the only ones that the former Pharaoh would risk everything in his life to save. Yes, everyone else that are close to Sugoroku and Yūgi are close to himself as well, but Atem would risk the majority of everything in his life, but not everything.

Honda placed two fingers under the other teen's chin, making him look at the brunette with his tear threatening eyes. "What do you think that everyone is doing or saying that is making you lose your strength?" The taller teen smiled when a single tear fell, giving Honda the opportunity to touch Atem's cheek so he can swipe the drop away.

"I don't care much what the others think, but what Yūgi is thinking is a different story. Aibou has always been there for me when I would almost lose myself to the darkness. He has been there when I was in pain from the memories I received back. Most of my memories were dreadful. Nothing that I would expect to happen in my past life. Yet they did and Yūgi was there to calm me. If… If he ever thought anything bad about me and started to hate me… Th-that would just break my heart. He is the closest thing that I have towards a little brother that I never had. A family that is long gone and forgotten." Atem had started to quiver at every word he said, making Honda to grab a hold of the smaller teen so that he can try and comfort him. The brunette felt guilt start to form in the pit of his stomach at what he was about to do, but then he reminded himself that it didn't involve the yami's aibou, making everything okay. Right?

"I talked with Yūgi this morning about everything that has been going on. I can assure you that nothing bad is happening to you and your aibou, so you have nothing to worry about on his part," Honda started, an assuring smile formed at his lips. The King of Games smiled back and hugged the brunette, silently thanking him for the words that he had needed to hear the most. The taller teen tightened his grip on the smaller one for a hug back, giving his silent acceptance for the thanks. After a few minutes, the tri-colored hair teen wiggled out of the brunette's hold and gave him a look of interest towards his friend.

"I can tell that you are not done with the explanation, but thanks for telling me what I needed to hear most," the former spirit said, a small smile forming at his lips for the gratitude that his brunette friend is giving him.

"Well, it does involve Jonouchi and Anzu," Honda started, rubbing the back of his neck so he can pretend to look disappointed and embarrassed cause of the said two. Atem shrugged, not really caring what the other two had to really say about him. The brunette sighed before starting to explain what has been happening.

Honda went into full detail into what has been happening. From the start, when he and Jonouchi talked on the phone about his outing with Atem, to now, of all the plans and ideas that the blonde and the female brunette were going to do in order to win the former Pharaoh's heart. The King of Games eyes turned from interest, to hurt, and then to rage when Honda ended the clarification that he needed from the past month's activities.

"So, you're saying that Jonouchi and Anzu ended their friendship with you just because they think that they will lose this 'competition' against you for the accomplishment of gaining my heart?" Atem clarified, his voice becoming more curious with every word he said. Honda nodded to affirm what he had just said was true. The King of Games' eyes turned from confusion to furious in a split second, making Honda shiver in fright. "They think that playing this is a joke? They think that hurting everyone in their path will help them? They have another thing coming. From the powers of all the gods and of the Shadow Realm, I will make sure that this will not be succeeded!" Atem said a quick goodbye towards Honda before stomping his way back to his classroom.

_You know, I feel kind of bad doing this to Jonouchi and Anzu_, Honda thought as he was getting up from the small sill and walking towards the bathroom door. _At least it's them and not me_, were the brunette's last thoughts before he headed back to his classroom where Yūgi, Ryou, and his two former friends were.

* * *

When school let out, Atem and Bakura were the first ones to go out because they had ditched their last period class. Both the junior and senior year classes are now on the subject of Ancient Egypt in their world history class, giving the two seniors some time to skip some school. They both know Ancient Egypt very well because they had both lived during that time. They even know the history of their ancestors, which was a long stretch from then to them. The two would only have to go to that class when it came to the subject of what happened after they had been sealed away inside the Sennen Items.

_Though I had made a promise to Ryou about not skipping school, this has to be an exception because I cannot let Atem out of my sight._ Soon after Bakura had thought this, he had lost track of where the former Pharaoh is at. He saw Atem walking towards Jonouchi and Anzu, the Dark Magician in his hand. Thinking nothing of it, Bakura saw Ryou and started to walk towards him when he heard a loud scream.

"What the bloody hell is Atem doing?" Ryou shouted, pointing towards the now alive Dark Magician, whom looked furious at the two teens he was standing in front of. Turning around, Bakura inwardly cursed before taking out his Dark Necrofear and summoned it from his powers of the Shadow Realm. While Bakura was summoning his monster, he saw that Atem and the other two were talking, though it seemed that whatever they were saying was making the former spirit even more furious at the two.

"We haven't done anything like that, we swear," Anzu pleaded, tears falling down her cheeks from fear of the monster in front of her. Atem clenched his teeth together, his hands forming into fists as he continued to listen to the blonde and brunette's lies.

"Bud, we wouldn' do anythin to hurt ya! We're your friends! Honda probableh twisted his words or sumthin in order for ya to believe him. I swear on my life that we wouldn' do anything to win this 'game'," Jonouchi reasoned, placing himself in front of Anzu in case his words went deaf towards the former Pharaoh's ears.

"Just shut up! Just shut the hell up! You are both lying," Atem shouted in fury as he mentally told his monster/friend to hurt the two teens that are in front of him. The dark magic came out of the Magician's staff and was headed towards the two teens, but was stopped from something else and redirected it towards the sky. The small teen glared at the direction of the other monster and knew exactly who the perpetrator was. "Bakura, you good for nothing thief! Stay the fuck out of this or else," the tri-color hair teen shouted, his hand secretly going to another card that was in his deck. He knew what the card was and would summon it in order to get the bastard of a thief away.

"Or what? You'll kill me? You don't have the heart or the guts to do it," Bakura shouted back, rage towards a certain brunette starting to grow. He knows that Honda is behind the former Pharaoh's fury. He knows that the brunette had twisted his words in order to make Jonouchi and Anzu look like the criminals in this. He knows it all too well. The shadows had told them. At first, he didn't believe them because how would Honda have been able to talk to Atem. Now, all of his doubt is gone and all the former thief wants to do is tear that bastard limb from limb for lying to the most wonderful person in this world for his own selfish needs.

"I do have the heart and guts to," Atem shouted back as he summoned The Winged Dragon of Ra on the school grounds. He read the chant in both Egyptian and English and as soon as the chant was over, a blinding light from the sun came down on the earth. Once the light had vanished, their stood perched on the ground, was the Egyptian God Card, The Winged Dragon of Ra. The mighty, golden monster looked around, smirking to itself that all of the pedestrians were running scared from this mighty beast.

_Oh… shit. Why didn't I keep my mouth shut? I completely forgot that an angry Atem means death. Though, how is that hard to forget? _Bakura thought to himself as he started to form a quick plan to keep his life. Looking up towards the mighty bird thing, the former thief could have sworn that the monster was smirking at him. Like, it knows that Bakura is afraid, but won't show it in public.

_Note to self; never piss off Atem because he is more powerful than Bakura when it comes to the Shadow Realm and all of the other freaky supernatural things AND because he has the Egyptian God's on his side and will kill you in a blink of an eye_, Ryou thought, giving his yami sympathy as he was hiding behind him.

"Winged Dragon of Ra, attack," Atem shouted in fury, grinning like a mad man when he saw the light from the monster's mouth. Before it got to attack, Yūgi and Honda, whom was pretending to be disappointed at Atem, but was really laughing at everyone who was a target, stood in front of Bakura and Ryou, making Atem stop the attack, fear of hurting one of the two people that he loves dearly.

"Atem, please, stop this madness! I don't want you to hurt my friends," Yūgi shouted, tears falling freely from his eyes. The former Pharaoh's eyes were wide, thinking of what he was about to do. He was about to give into the darkness that still lingers in his heart, all because of some things that Jonouchi and Anzu were going to do.

"Come back, my friends," Atem commanded as the souls of the two cards went back into their respected cards. The former Pharaoh quickly glanced at the blonde and the female brunette, both hugging each other close, for fear of their lives. Footsteps were from afar and before anyone knew it, Seto and Mokuba were right next to Jonouchi and Anzu, comforting the two teens of what just happened.

"Come back, Necrofear," Bakura whispered, the soul of his favorite card going back into its respectful place. The former thief placed his card back into his deck and hugged his hikari, happy that he is safe from harm.

"Atem…" Yūgi started, but was rudely interrupted by the older Kaiba, who looked furious, but also, some fear was showing through his mask. Nobody pointed it out, but just stayed quiet to let his anger out.

"You incompetent, ignorant bastard," Seto shouted, his shoulders quivering from the rage he is about to throw at the other teen. Jonouchi tried to calm him down, but was too late when his love started to walk towards the smaller teen. "You almost killed these two! Because of your ignorance and stubbornness to listen to what they had to say, you were about to sacrifice their lives in order to prove that nobody is allowed to hurt you. Well, I've got two words for you. Reality. Check. Getting hurt is something we have to live though during our lives, but no, you have to make everything perfect for your own selfish needs, in order to have everybody like you," the older Kaiba shouted, his breathing starting to quicken with every word. He has a hunch as to why Atem did all of this, but dammit, he shouldn't go on a killing spree because he got wrong information.

"I… I'm sorry," the former Pharaoh whispered, not bothering to look at the intense blue eyes that are staring at him. Shaking his head in fury, Seto clenched his hand into a fist and punched the other teen in the jaw, making him tumble to the ground.

"I am not the one you should be saying that to," the CEO said, his shoulders still shaking from his fury. He started to walk towards his boyfriend and his friend, not caring that the former spirit wasn't getting up from the ground.

Everyone stayed still, not daring to move or else all hell might break lose. Yūgi was the first to break from the trance and ran towards his friend to help him up. Looking down at his yami, Yūgi sat down next him, tears still falling freely down his cheeks. It hurt to see that the confidence and strong will that Atem always held in his eyes were completely gone and his eyes were now filled with emptiness.

"I'd leave him. He deserves to feel this way after what he was about to do to these three," Seto shouted, his voice still filled with rage of what the event. Jonouchi glared whole heartedly at his boyfriend and stood up, pushing the taller man with much force, not caring if he fell or not, and walked over towards his friend. "What did I do? He was about to kill you!" Katsuya glared at the older Kaiba once again, fury towards the one he loves dearly growing.

"You know what, _Kaiba_! How about you shut the fuck up for once in your life! Yes, he was about to kill me, Bakura, and Anzu, but I understand why! He was angry and confused! When those two emotions are combined, they are both unstoppable and dangerous! So, if you want to make another snide comment about what just happened, then we are through! Got it?" the blonde snapped at the CEO, knowing that the other teen knows that he is telling the truth. Walking back towards his tri-color hair teen friend, Jonouchi's heart literally broke when he saw no life in Atem's eyes.

"Yūgi, Jonouchi, thank you," the former Pharaoh whispered, a small, forced smile forming on his lips. He motioned for the two teens to help him get up onto his feet, which the two happily complied doing. It took the once graceful King of Games a few seconds to gain his balance again, but was still supported by his two friends. "I know sorry doesn't cut out for what I just did. I… I need to leave. To get away for a while. To think things through," the former spirit started, tears now threatening to fall, again. Everyone gasped at Atem's declaration, but Yūgi's reaction was the worst. He started to go ballistic and fell to his knees, begging his yami not to go anywhere. That they can talk about this.

"You can't leave us, Atem. We would miss you," Anzu shouted, new tears streaming down her face. This was the number one thing that the female brunette feared. Atem leaving. Though this leave was not permanent, but he never said when he would be back. A year? Five years? Only Kami and Atem knew.

"Please don' do this buddy! We need you! Without you, who else would Kaiba argue with? Who would Anzu fawn over to? Who would Yūgi look up and smile his wonderful, cheerful smile to?" Jonouchi tried convincing the former spirit to not leave, but failed when he received a shake from the other teen's head.

"Th-then… I'm coming… with you," Yūgi shouted in between sobs, using his sleeves to get rid of the tears that were on his face. It broke Atem's heart to see his number one person cry and be hurt like this, but he had to leave. He couldn't endanger anyone in this city. Atem has a very short temper and whoever is the one to light his fuse, he will kill them. He almost did today and he done so in the past year too. He couldn't do this anymore. He needs to find a place where he can relax and think through everything.

"I have to aibou. I don't want to endanger anyone else here. You know how short my temper is. I don't want my next victim to be any of these guys. You know that I will not hesitate to kill them when I am angry. Before you say that we should be together all the time, no. You and I both know that we need space from each other. I promise to not be gone long. Month top," Atem tried to reassure, adding a smile to try and convince his aibou to agree. The younger teen thought about what was just said and sighed, agreeing to the proposition.

The former Pharaoh pulled out his Slifer the Sky Dragon card and summoned it and said his farewells to everyone, though his hugs towards Bakura and Honda were longer than he anticipated. When saying his goodbye to Yūgi, Atem gave his former hikari his Dark Magician, saying that that is proof that he'll be back. The smaller teen laughed before nodding and hugging his friend gaining a sweet, reassuring kiss on the forehead from his friend before he jumped on the dragon's back and shouted at it to take flight towards the west.

_West. Why west… He's going home_, both Bakura and Yūgi thought, knowing the former Pharaoh better than anyone.

Once they were unable to see the red and black dragon anymore, everyone started to depart from the school. Jonouchi was yelling at Seto for being careless towards his friend and then stomped back to his own home to be away from the older Kaiba for a while. Anzu continued to cry a little bit, before she was comforted by Yūgi, who gave her a reassuring smile. Honda was long gone when Atem took flight in the sky, mad that he won't be able to see the man of his dreams for another month. The two albinos walked home, Bakura looking down at the ground, in fury of what just happened.

Once the two arrived home, Bakura went straight to his room and locked himself in there so he can do some research. He needs to know exactly where the three pyramids are in order to know where the ruins of the Pharaoh's kingdom were. Upon doing thirty to an hour of research, no website that Bakura went on told him exactly where he needed to go. Groaning in frustration, the former thief went back to a website that was more helpful than the rest and printed it.

"Now, to pack," the albino whispered to himself as he threw a duffel bag on his bed and grabbed a month worth of clothes in it. The teen then quietly went over to the bathroom in order to grab his toothbrush and some of his shampoos and brushes before sneaking back into his room. The former thief also wrote his friend a quick note about what he was doing and when to expect him home. He did a double take on what he just grabbed, Bakura grabbed his wallet and placed it into his pant pocket along with his cell phone and the charger before using the shadows to go to Yūgi's house to do the same for Atem.

After about an agonizing hour of packing for the former Pharaoh, Bakura stood in front of Domino High School and looked in the direction where Atem took flight in. _This better be worth my time_, the albino thought as he took out the Blue Eyes White Dragon that he quickly stole form Seto so he can take flight in the sky. The young CEO won't miss it. He'll be far too busy to try and win Jonouchi back, with school, and work.

Though, the former thief could have sworn that he heard the familiar scream from said teen as he flew over his house on the dragon.

* * *

"**What news do you bring me, slave?**"

"Atem almost killed two mortal teens and he had almost killed Thief King Bakura too. He would have succeeded if Yūgi Mouto hadn't shown up."

"**Excellent. Anything else happen to my prey?**"

"He has left Japan to go somewhere in order to get away from the people in Domino City and from those he is close to. He is afraid that he may hurt them and he does not want to give into the darkness that is still in his heart."

"**Converting him will be easy then, won't it?**"

"Yes. Yes it will. Just as long as no one else interrupts this."

"_**You**_** will make sure of that too or else I will banish you.**"

"Yes, master."

* * *

Yes, the actual plot is starting to form. The "mysterious voices" (though I think you all know who they are), will be revealed in a later chapter.

Though Seto is trying to bring Jonouchi back, he still checks up on his deck, just to make sure that everything is still there, though he now knows that one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons is missing. Oh geez. I think that'll make Katsuya more made at our loveable CEO because he'll probably think that a card is more special than him. I also did a search in Bakura's deck and he does not have one single flying monster. That is just crazy! Ugh! So, I settled for him to steal it from Kaiba instead.

Yes, Bakura decided on his way home with Ryou that he will go to Egypt to make sure that our favorite Pharaoh will not do anything stupid while at the desert place. Who knows what will happen there. Whatever happens in Egypt, stays in Egypt. Except herpes. Don't bring them back to Japan! Haha.

Again, did some searching in Bakura's deck and found that Necrofear card. I think that is the strongest in his deck beside Diabound. Maybe he should have called for that instead, but I don't think that that's a card. :/

Yes, Atem is like me, who has anger issues. He'll be calm and collective one minute, then on a murder spree at another. Him and I really need some anger management. Oh well, what can you do?

Some were able to figure out what Honda said to Atem to make our Pharaoh furious at Jonouchi and Anzu. When, none have any ideas, but Yūgi and Bakura have a small idea to when and where.

Yes, Honda is close to having Atem as his. I call this obsessive, but hey, if he wasn't, then the plot wouldn't be as good.

Till next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Since my router has yet to be smart and connect my laptop, I have written this chapter too. I will say that this chapter is sort of a filler, buuuuuut it kind of has information about things that should be known. I think. I don't, it's your judgment.

So yeah, like I said earlier, technology hates me. I really wanted these chapters to be up sooner so that you all don't have to wait so damn long. Maybe living in Ancient Egypt wouldn't be as bad as this time. Then again, if duel monsters were real back then, I'd be fucked. Maybe staying here would be a lot safer. Wait, I would get killed by a gunshot, drugs, technology, my own clumsy self? Maybe the in between time would be better. Haha.

Anyway, enough of my rambling and let's move on to the chapter! I hope you all enjoy it though. :D

**Pairings**: Yami/Bakura, Yami/Honda, Seto/Jou, Yūgi/Ryou  
**Rating**: T - - May go up  
**Warnings**: swearing, lemons [in later chapters], other good stuff ;]  
**Summary**: Yami and Bakura decided to stay in this time era, leaving their friends in the past. During their time in the future, Bakura and Honda started to fall for the former Pharaoh. Who will win the Pharaoh's heart?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu–Gi–Oh. I do own the plot to the story. That counts for something!

* * *

Atem arrived in his kingdom, which is in ruins, a little over an hour ago, looking at the once beloved place with saddened eyes. Just seeing the place you love in ruins seemed to change the former Pharaoh's mood from anger and confusion to sadness. He had to get away from Domino City, a place where he can be crowded by many people, yet still feel lonely. Back where his kingdom was in Egypt, he felt at home. A place where he belonged to.

_Times like these make me wonder why I left my era for this one,_ the King of Games thought, sitting in the center of where his ruin palace is. Holding onto his Dark Magician card, Atem was able to feel the soul's happiness to be at home once again. At least, to Atem, he was able to be at a place with a friend, even though that friend is a game card.

The former Pharaoh looked at one place in particular. His bedroom balcony. Or, at least, where is use to be. The thought of that place put a smile on the teen's face. It is where he and Bakura had first met, though not in person. The two knew of one another, but did not know each other.

The thief, at the time, was walking past the palace to go to some random place to steal something, when he looked up, periwinkle eyes meeting with amnethyst ones. Everything surrounding the two teens seemed oblivious to them. The two did not notice a few guards sneak up on the thief until the last second. Yes, Bakura was able to get away from the guards, but that had also meant leaving the Pharaoh. The said teen frowned at this, saddened that someone that he wanted to know had to go and leave. What shocked him was that the thief threw him a reassuring smile, silently promising that he will return.

_And he did come back. At first, I could not recognize him because of the hooded disguise he wore and plus that he grew taller and broader while I pretty much stayed the same_, Atem thought, his smile growing by the second. He switched his direction of sight towards where his royal garden used to be. The garden was one of the main gardens where herbs and rare flowers could be grown for medicine. There was another garden on the other side of his kingdom and then one in the middle. These were all accessible for the peasants and medical people in his kingdom so that they can all stay healthy and recover quickly from illnesses.

This garden was when Bakura and Atem first met in person, a week after his guardian/friend Mahado was sealed into his monster, Dark Magician, from Zorc. The Pharaoh was depressed about the whole situation, having the thief comfort the other teen. The two stowed away into the younger teen's secret hiding place from his guards, servants, and priests. Most importantly, his cousin Set, who likes to lecture the smaller teen to tend to his kingdom, which he does, instead of hiding. The two young teens talked for a few hours, making the Pharaoh's mood change from depressed to blissful. The young Pharaoh placed the Sennen Ring around Bakura's neck, making him the keeper of the item.

_I will guard this with my life and inform you if I find out anything_, Atem thought, repeating the thief's words with a chuckle. The Thief King kept true to his words. He would send a messenger bird to the young Pharaoh once a week with every finding he had on Zorc or anything that'll make his kingdom a better place for his subjects. That was, until his last letter was an emergency and needed help fighting off the monster.

The battle was long and seemed to never want to end. Everyone's life source was running low and Zorc seemed to be weakening too. Atem knew that enough was enough and started chanting a spell that would banish Zorc into one of the Sennen Items and have that item destroyed. Everything was going perfectly, until the monster had attacked the young Pharaoh, making him unable to finish the spell. Knowing that he had no other option, the teen placed a spell on himself and Zorc, making the two of them slaves of one Sennen Items. Unknown to everyone, Bakura was trapped inside the spell, not wanting to leave the Pharaoh. Atem's soul was sealed inside the Sennen Puzzle while Bakura and Zorc's were sealed inside the Sennen Ring, making their souls merge into one.

Crying over the loss of their young Pharaoh, the priest and warriors carried Atem's body back to the palace, where they can have a burial for him. They erased his name and any information about him, as he requested before he sealed his soul inside the Sennen Puzzle. All of the Items were placed inside the young Pharaoh's tomb and was heavily guarded by traps. Set was announced Pharaoh, though he did not want to become Pharaoh, a few days later, attempting to finish what his cousin had started.

"I am proud that you led my kingdom well, Set. I hope you are resting well and that the Gods are keeping you safe," the King of Games said aloud, looking up towards the cloudless sky where he hopes that his cousin is looking down at him, smiling. The former Pharaoh did not notice a pair of footsteps heading in his direction or the owner of the footsteps standing right behind him.

"I bet that the Gods are treating him like a Pharaoh," the owner of the footsteps said, startling Atem. The former spirit turned around to see who had followed him, only to lock eyes with a pair of periwinkle purple eyes he was just thinking about. The eyes held some amusement in them along with some concern mixed in there as well.

"Yeah… I bet they… are," Atem responded slowly, shock evident in his voice. He was not expecting the person he was just thinking about to be standing behind him or to even follow him for that matter. "How… did you know where I would be?" the tri-colored hair teen asked, still bewildered that Bakura was right in front of him, a smug look on his face. He shrugged his shoulders, making the other teen scowl at the lack of information.

"I just had a feeling you would be here. I come here, or at least think about this place, when I am feeling down. It just gives me a warm feeling of being back at home," the white hair teen answered, concern in his voice as he stared at the eyes that made him fall for the other teen in front of him. The answer seemed to make the said teen smile, knowing what the former thief was talking about.

"Yeah, I do have that homey feeling inside me when I am here. Four of my cards and myself love coming here when we just need to get away from everything in Domino," the former Pharaoh told Bakura, the warm smile never leaving his lips. Just seeing the other teen smile made Bakura quiver from anticipation of the amnethyst eyes teen's happiness.

"Well," Bakura started, dropping both the duffel bags he had brought with him next to Atem and sitting down beside them, "since we are going to be here for a month, I brought us some clothes from home so we won't be wearing the same closes over and over again." Just thinking of wearing the same closes everyday for a month gave the former thief a disgusted feeling throughout his body, not liking the thought at all. Yeah, he was able to do that in the past because he had no other choice, but since he now lives in this time era, he hates it more than anything.

"We?" the former Pharaoh asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. He was not expecting Bakura to join him in this trip. Hell, the tri-color hair teen did not know what he was going to do in Egypt, in his long forgotten kingdom to many people, for a whole month. _I had not thought about this. What would I do here for a month? The longest I stay here is at least two days, maybe less. _Not liking that he has no plan, Atem looked at Bakura, unsure of what to do.

"Yes, we. I hope you have a plan of what we're doing this whole month," the former thief said with a knowing smirk. He knows that the other teen has no plans of what to do here for a whole month. The shadows have told him that he stays no more than a few days.

"Well, I don't have a plan. I was just going to wing it," the former Pharaoh said confidently, a small, light blush of embarrassment forming on his cheeks. Standing up, the young teen started walking towards the nearest cave, the cave that he goes to when he is here.

_I'm fucked. I knew I should have stolen some money for us_, the former Thief King thought as he followed the other teen towards the cave, dragging the duffel bags in the soft, heated sand of the desert.

_This is going to be the longest month that I have ever lived_, the two teens thought simultaneously before Atem started up a camp for the both of them.

* * *

"I'm sure Bakura will be fine. At least he left you a note saying where he'll be for the next month," Yūgi said over the phone, trying to calm his friend down. The young tri-colored hair teen had arrived home a little over two hours ago, saddened that his friend had suddenly left on short notice. Once the teen had arrived home, he had noticed that his grandfather was neither in the shop nor in the house. Knowing that he probably went shopping for food, Yūgi went to his room to take a short nap, the latest events quickly catching up to him. An hour into the nap, Yūgi heard his cell phone going off. Quickly grabbing it from his nightstand before it stopped, he answered it, only to be greeted by a hysterical Ryou.

"_That is true, but still. I'm worried about him. I know he left because of Atem, but I would have liked that he would talk to me about it before going. Not just go and keep me in the dust. I worry about him like a mother worrying about her child_," Ryou explained, his breathing steadier than they it was when Yūgi had answered the phone. The older of the two shook his head, knowing what the albino is going through.

"I know how you feel. I feel… exactly the same way towards Atem. If anything were to happen to him, I would never forgive myself," the tri-color hair teen said, shaking his head slowly to stop the tears from escaping his eyes. He knows that he shouldn't cry over what his yami is doing. Atem is a strong, confident guy and can stand up to anyone in this world and the next. Plus, the small teen needs to stay strong for Ryou, who is having difficulty accepting this.

"_The apartment seems bigger without Bakura_," the albino said slowly, trying not to grasp what he had just said. Rubbing his eyes to rid any tears, Yūgi just smiled at his phone, a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach about what he is about to say next. Ryou needs someone to talk to about his yami also leaving to Egypt on such short notice. Yūgi is pretty much the only person in the world who knows how the white hair teen is feeling at this moment.

"Ryou, would you like to stay here until Bakura comes back? You're making it seem that you're life is lonely without him," Yūgi asked, not exactly sure why his smile will not leave his face. He heard a faint gasp on the other end of the phone, assuming that the albino teen is shocked of the invitation.

"_I don't want to impose on you and your grandfather, Yūgi. Thanks for the offer though_," Ryou answered, sounding a bit happier than he did almost an hour ago. The smaller teen felt gravely disappointed about the rejection of the other teen staying at his house for a month. Not one to give up, Yūgi felt less shy about this and went head on about the subject. The tri-color hair teen wants his friend to stay with him for the time being and he will not take "no" for an answer.

"You wouldn't be imposing on us, Ryou. I am the one inviting you, not you inviting yourself. Plus, we need a cook in this house. Grandpa and I can't cook, even if our lives depended on it," Yūgi urged, his determination not giving up. What he said was true. Him and Sugoroku could not cook even the simplest of meals in the world. Before Atem came into their lives, the only things that the two Moutos ate were fast food or something that just needed to be heated up. Yūgi felt a little weight leave him when he heard laughter from the other line.

"_Fine, fine. I'll only stay for that reason_," the white hair teen answered as his laughter started to die down. Then he just realized what his friend/crush had just said and was slightly confused about it. "Wait, did you just imply that Atem cooks?" When he heard a small agreement from the other teen, Ryou was even more confused. How did an ancient Pharaoh know how to cook? Didn't he have chefs to tend to his meals for him?

"Before he became Pharaoh, Atem always helped his chef make the meals because he would get bored easily. He took a liking to cooking and even continued when he had nothing to do while he was Pharaoh. He liked the creativity and the courage it took to make new meals for everyone. Well, that's what Atem had told me," Yūgi explained, still confused about it till this day. Though his and his grandfather's stomachs are happy about the nourish foods that are being fed to them, it is still mind blowing that an ancient Pharaoh knows how to cook.

"_Okay… Maybe we should drop that subject before I become even more confused_," Ryou slowly said, confusion clearly evident in his voice. Shrugging his shoulders, the albino's thoughts drifted to something he wondered about when he got home, hoping that his friend would know something about. "_How is… Honda doing about Atem's sudden leave?_" The white hair teen heard a muffed grunt, knowing that whatever it is, would not be good.

"He isn't happy about it, I can say that much," the smaller teen answered, shaking his head in disappointment about his brunette friend. The said teen had called him a few hours ago, right before he was going to take his nap. Honda was furious about the sudden departure, saying that he needed to have Atem fall in love with him before the time was up. Whatever that meant.

"_Ah. Not good, I see. Well, I am kind of not surprised. He was the easiest to distinguish of his mood about the leave_," the younger teen said, concern suddenly seeping into his voice. Ryou was scared for Atem and Bakura, hoping that their brunette friend does not know about the two of them in Egypt together or else all of hell would probably break loose. No one wants to deal with an angered Honda. Never pretty.

"I know and that's what scares me. If he ever finds out that Bakura had gone to Egypt to comfort Atem, he would go out for the kill. He may not be stronger than Bakura mentally, but he is physically. That's the only scary part. He'll probably try to really hurt Bakura because of this," Yūgi explained, worried about Bakura's safety also. The young teen is also worried about Atem and how he'll want to defend Bakura from Honda also, but Yūgi's concerns were mainly on the older albino because he would be the main target of the brunette's rage.

A short silence soon followed, both teens in serious thought. Who knows what Honda would actually do if he ever found about that Bakura is with his "crush", all alone, in Egypt. Both do not want to picture the results of that fight, though they knew it could not be avoided.

"_Only… time will tell about this. Let us hope that time and luck are on our side_," Ryou finally said after a few minutes of silence. Yūgi nodded, giving a short mumble of agreement over the whole subject.

"Well, what time do you want to come over? Anytime is good with me," the smaller teen suddenly said, reluctant of wanting to change the subject. Ryou chuckled over his crush's sudden mood, happy that the subject is changed.

"_I will be there in an hour. I need to pack a month's worth of clothes_," the white hair teen answered, walking towards where his suitcase is. Spotting it in the front closet, the albino teen went to his room to start packing, trying to pick clothes that will make him look good for Yūgi.

"Okay! Imma take a small nap before you come. Call me when you are five minutes away," Yūgi exclaimed happily, his eyes slowly closing to get some sleep. The small teen heard a mumble of acknowledgement before the other teen hung up to finish packing. _This next month should be interesting since Ryou will be here_, were the teen's last thoughts before sleep overtook him, happy that his friend is going to be staying with him for the next month.

* * *

"Atem is in Egypt, master."

"**Ah! I had a feeling he would be there. It seems that he is homesick. Haha."**

"Indeed. His hikari had said that he goes there for at least a few days when he is troubled and needs to get away from the city."

"**You have done well, my slave. You are doing better than that puny, idiot Thief King Bakura has ever done.**"

"Thank you for the praise, master. I will not fail you like he has."

"**Indeed you won't. I have learned from my past mistakes.**"

"Of course, master. Mistakes make us a better person, though you are greatly better than that."

"**Yes, yes. Now, go. We must form a plan for our precious Pharaoh's absence so that he shall be on our side and all his powers shall belong to me!"**

"Yes, master."

* * *

More mysterious talking. Haha. At least they are staying on the down low for a while until our favorite Pharaoh comes back to Domino City.

It seems that our favorite shrimp is slowly starting to realize something, or will he be in denial?

Yes, I am making Ryou very emotional when his "older brother" goes away before talking about this to him. I kind of see Ryou actually being like this if he and Bakura ever became close like they are in this story. Hm…

The four cards that Atem was talking about are the God cards and obviously the Dark Magician.

A bit of history about Atem's and Bakura's past. I could not resist the past being a bit sappy. I like sappiness, though I should have kept Bakura as a heartless bastard. But, I have an excuse why he isn't! His soul isn't merged with Zorc's yet when he and Atem first meet.

Till next chapter!


End file.
